1. Field
The present disclosure relates to closing wheels and more particularly pertains to a new segmented closing wheel for effectively closing the furrow while not producing a compacted layer of soil at the soil surface.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The closing of furrows is important to the planting of seeds in fields, especially in fields where no till techniques are being employed. Edges of the top surface of the soil forming the furrow are lifted by the knife of the plow to open the furrow to receive the seed, and the edges of the soil need to be pressed downwardly to close the furrow.
Conventional planters use closing wheels with a continuous circumference formed by a rubber tire that applies a downward force to the opposite edges of the furrow. The rubber tire closing wheels typically operate best with the down pressure set to the maximum adjustment. However, in areas of soil having a higher moisture content, the pressure of the tire can produce significant compaction of the surface and subsurface of the soil along the sides of the furrow as the soil is being pressed back into place. This compaction can cause significant difficulty in the emergence of the plant and the ultimate yield of the crop.
Another approach to the closing wheel employs teeth or spikes that radiate outwardly from a center and terminate in sharp tips that when pressed down on the surface of the soil effectively penetrate through the surface of the soil. It is believed that this approach does not effectively close the furrow.
Therefore is believed to be a need for a closing wheel that does not produce significant compaction of the soil along the furrow while is still effective for closing the furrow.